Texting Worse than Drinking and Driving

text message while driving

How awful is typing away on your iPhone while at the wheel? According to Britain's Transport Research Laboratory, undertaking the study for the also-British RAC Foundation--texting in drivers between 17 and 24 years old led to 35 percent slower reactions, compared to 21 percent slower under the influence of marijuana and 12 percent slower reflexes at the legal alcohol intoxication limit.

Steering control alone was 91 percent worse, while potheads were only 35 percent slower to steer out of danger. Texters also couldn't keep in their lane as safely or keep a safe distance as consistently.

"When texting, drivers are distracted by taking their hand off the wheel to use their phone, by trying to read small text on the phone display, and by thinking about how to write their message," said researcher Nick Reed. "This combination of factors resulted in the impairments to reaction time and vehicle control that place the driver at a greater risk than having consumed alcohol to the legal limit for driving."